Lakers pulling for Jordan

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Shaquille O'Neal said that if he ever left the NBA on a perfect note, the way Michael Jordan did, he wouldn't return.

"I have the poster of his final shot in my son's room," O'Neal said Friday before the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers left for training camp in Hawaii.

O'Neal referred to Jordan's game-winning jumper over Utah's Bryon Russell in the final seconds of Game 6 in the 1998 NBA Finals, giving the Chicago Bulls their sixth and final championship of the 1990s.

"He's still the greatest player in the game," O'Neal said. "Keep in mind: Everyone has to come through L.A., somebody has to beat us. I'm glad he's back."

O'Neal said he looked forward to a possible matchup of Kobe Bryant, his 23-year-old teammate, and Jordan, who turns 39 in February.

"If they're playing man, just get the ball to Kobe," O'Neal said.

Bryant said he spoke with Jordan a few days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"I'm just happy for him, playing the game he loves," Bryant said. "He's helped me out a great deal, he's given me advice on certain things."

About facing Jordan, Bryant said: "I'm just looking forward to playing, I'm focused on playing on the Los Angeles Lakers and trying to win the game."

The Lakers play host to the Wizards on Feb. 12, then play at Washington on April 2.

"It's great to have him back," Rick Fox said. "We'll just watch the games from a fan's eye. It'll be interesting to see what he does with the Wizards.

"If Kobe wants to go at Mike and Mike wants to go at Kobe, I'm sure they'll find a way during the game."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who coached all six championship teams in Chicago before becoming coach of the Lakers two years ago, said he'll be rooting for Jordan.

"From the 'Michael the Legend' standpoint, I'd rather not have him come back," Jackson said. "I don't know how anybody could end his career like he ended his career."

I hope he has the fun he wants to have on the court. He's a marvelous athlete, I think he can do it.

"Everybody's talking about how guys one-on-one are going to beat him. You know, that's not going to happen. He's going to get beat every once in a while, there's going to be a highlight tape here and there. But Michael's going to have a lot of great moments on the court and he's going to help his team play."